This scene depicts the consequences of the deposition on an
individual family, as revealed by the domestic squabble that
erupts in the York household. It demonstrates the complexity of
the issue of loyalty: is York is correct in being loyal to the crown,
or is Aumerle right to be loyal to Richard? Does Aumerle owe
loyalty to his father? There is also the example of the duchess,
who is fiercely loyal to her family and does not want her husband
to report their son's involvement in a crime.

The scene opens with York narrating the different receptions
accorded to Bolingbroke and Richard when they came to London.
While the commoners hailed Bolingbroke and prayed for his
happiness, they threw dust and rubbish on Richard's head. York's
description of the contrasted entries of Richard and Bolingbroke
highlights Richard's devastation. It also underlines Bolingbroke's
political submission to the commoners as he thanks them for their
blessings. There is again a sense of display and performance
associated with Richard in York's description of the way the
crowd of the commoners turned its attention from Richard to the
new king; it is said to have happened "as in a theater." Running
through York's narration is also a touch of Christian compassion
for the unfortunate. There is a reference made to the badges of
grief, patience and sorrow, which characterize Richard's
countenance.

York sees these events as being divinely ordained and thus
transfers his fealty to Bolingbroke. York's shift of loyalty is a
result of long thought and deliberation. He had earlier
acknowledged that two conflicting claims were tearing him apart.
When Bolingbroke arrived in England, York had denounced him
as a traitor for violating the sentence of exile. But he is also
sympathetic to Bolingbroke because of Richard's unwarranted
confiscation of his titles and property. York is critical of the way
Richard farmed England for his own profit. York's final decision
is to transfer his loyalty to the new king. His character shows
devotion struggling with exasperation at the corruption and
incompetence of Richard. Some commentators have seen York as
a political opportunist who casts his lot with the winning side after
seeing Boilingbroke's strength. But York has to be judged within
the framework of the entire play. His loyalty is not to an
individual king but to the country and the crown.

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When York discovers his son, Aumerle, plotting against Henry,
he vows to reveal the conspiracy to the king. Historically this plot
was hatched in December of 1399. The Earls of Aumerle, Exeter
and Surrey, along with Salisbury, the Bishop of Carlisle and other
friends and supporters of Richard, met at the Abbot of
Westminster's house and plotted to murder Bolingbroke and his
sons and to restore the deposed Richard to the throne. The revolt
took place in January but failed miserably. Henry was warned in
time, and his army squelched the conspirators.

Shakespeare is concerned here with the issue of conflict within
the family and with political obedience. Thus he focuses on
Aumerle's part in the rebellion of the earls. Historical accounts
reveal that Aumerle (Rutland) had betrayed Richard first in
Wales. He had then betrayed Henry in London, and finally, he
betrayed his fellow earls. Shakespeare omits Aumerle's betrayal
of Richard and makes him a firm supporter. Thus Aumerle's
participation in the earls' rebellion appears as devoted loyalty to
his former king. Shakespeare is not simply reporting historical
events but using the discretion of a dramatist to shape characters
and events.

Shakespeare also makes Aumerle's betrayal of the earls seem to
be the result of pressure by his parents. This sense is heightened
by the duchess of York's excessive maternal concern for her only
son. In actual life, however, the duchess was York's second wife
and Aumerle's stepmother. Aumerle also had a younger brother.

It is difficult to condemn Aumerle's loyalty to Richard since the
source of Bolingbroke's power and authority as a king is dubious.
He has no right to govern because he has seized the throne by
deposing Richard, who was God's anointed king. Another point to
consider is York's over-energetic readiness in sacrificing his own
blood for a usurper who has only used him as a means to reach the
throne. York's action is motivated by fear. Distrust and fear
become the order of the day under Bolingbroke's rule.